True Life: I’m a Psychic

Ok, so I hate the word psychic. I don’t like psychic because most people go directly to Miss Cleo; hell, even the Google definition has skepticism built right in (see: “claiming to”). And how can I win with that…

But then again, it’s true. I see things that aren’t there, hear things, interpret my dreams, and especially perform divination. I spent enough of my life feeling crazy. But the older I become, the more I’ve accepted that we all have levels of intuition or awareness…and that this is perfectly normal.

I believe that every spiritual person has a primary art, no matter their faith. Some people are apt to prayer, the evidence of their skill being the fruit of manifestation.

Others are da bomb cooks! I have a godsister who I call Sweet Fury, and anything that she puts into a pot turns into liquid gold in your belly.

I cook and I pray as well, but I’ve learn and studied various spiritual arts as a priestess for three years. Few things move me so much as the art of divination.

My godmother, Chief Iyanifa Osun Monife Balewa, is an initiated high priestess with almost 40 years of divination practice, and a pro merindinlogun diviner. She taught me everything I know.

What Is Merindinlogun?

With merindinlogun, the diviner uses 16 cowrie shells to consult the orisha, communicating through two sets of organized, binary-based patterns called odu, all depending on how the shells land. There are 16 odu, giving 256 possible sets. And each set gives a personalized description, diagnosis, and remedy for the client. It’s amazing and intricate stuff!

There are many variations within the diaspora in cowrie shell divination, and there is no wrong or right way to divine…so long as the diviner is trained, ordained, and reads with the highest intention of the client in mind.

How many ways are their to perform merininlogun? Consider the Latin alphabet, and the number of linguistic developments, languages and variations over time with just one set of letters.

I begin every reading by first clearing and sanctifying my space, my shells, and myself. I then call on the blessings of my spiritual lineage – the priests who have directly and indirectly guided me:

It is a reminder that the line before me is long and powerful, and that I am well prepared and spiritually supported.

In addition to being proficient in reading odu, you must also be tuned in to your other spiritual senses. I often hear things for the client (or for myself), or I will see things that pertain to the reading. The process of qualitative inquiry, odu translation, and spiritual sensory clues all create a well-rounded experience for the client to have all questions and needs met, creating solutions for a fruitful future.

And what about people who don’t practice Ifa? For my Christian friends who are prone to fear, divination is nothing more that “casting lots”. For my atheist friends who are prone to skepticism, I’ll give a vague “It’s just this thing…try it – you have nothing to lose!” Each time, the result is the same – higher clarity, and undeniable accuracy.